Peter Capaldi Hints at Doctor Who Departure After Ninth Series

Peter Capaldi's run as the Twelfth Doctor has been highly acclaimed, but sadly, all good things must come to an end. In a recent interview, Capaldi hinted that he may leave the show after the upcoming ninth series.

When asked by The Mirror if he would continue to the tenth season, Capaldi gave this enigmatic and ominous answer:

"I sort of enjoy this position I am in with a kind of deep Scottish melancholy because I know it has to end one day. I will cross that bridge when we come to it, which may be sooner rather than later."

He doesn't explicitly say that he's leaving after the ninth season, but "sooner rather than later" doesn't sound like the words of an actor who envisions himself sticking with a role for at least the next two years. Of course, even if he does decide to leave, he could always change his mind; Jenna Coleman, who plays the companion Clara, was set to leave in the middle of last season but is still going strong.

It would be unfortunate if Capaldi left after so short a term, as his iteration of the Time Lord has been delightfully cranky and strange. But, if he did leave, at least there's a chance that we could finally get a Doctor who's a woman or a person of color. Agent Carter's Hayley Atwell recently stated that she would love to play the Doctor, and we would wholeheartedly approve of that casting.